Hospital overcrowding in west 'out of control' and requires urgent response, union says

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said the level of overcrowding in the west is a cause for concern and requires an urgent response from the Health Service Executive.

This comes as over 34 per cent of patients waiting on trolleys on Monday were being treated in the west.

There were 490 admitted patients waiting for beds on Monday morning, according to the INMO. Some 316 patients were waiting in emergency departments, while 174 were in wards elsewhere in hospitals.

Colm Porter, INMO assistant director of industrial relations for the region, said: “The level of overcrowding on the western seaboard has been out of control for the month of August and is a grim indicator of what is to come in the months ahead.

“This level of overcrowding, especially the fact that over 51 patients are without a bed in Sligo University Hospital, warrants an urgent response from the Health Service Executive. Over 26 new medical beds have been open in Sligo University Hospital since January 2025, and even with this increased capacity they have not been able to de-escalate.

“We need to see a serious attempt to de-escalate the chronic level of overcrowding in all hospitals in the west and north-west. The HSE must use all tools and capacity available to them immediately.

“This level of overcrowding coupled with insufficient nurse staffing before we head into a busy autumn and winter period is a dangerous situation for our members and the patients they want to treat in a safe and timely manner to find themselves in.”